WA: Woman fires shot to scare away intruder: "A woman fired a shot to scare off an intruder in her Hilltop home early Monday, Tacoma police reported. The intruder wasn’t injured and fled out the back door. He hasn’t been found, police said. The incident occurred just after 12:30 a.m. Monday in the 2100 block of South L Street. The woman was in her living room when she heard noises at the back door, police reported. She got her gun from her bedroom, went to investigate and found a man standing in her kitchen, police reported. The woman yelled and fired a shot, which hit the dishwasher. The man fled. Officers searched the area for him, but no arrest was reported. The intruder was about 6 feet tall and had a medium build. He wore a dark-colored hooded sweatshirt with the hood up, police reported. No other information about the man was available."


Texas Dry Cleaner Shoots, Kills Robber: "Two people tried to rob a Spring dry cleaning business, but the shop’s manager didn’t let them succeed, KPRC Local 2 reported. Harris County sheriff’s deputies said Nam-Duong Nguyen, the manager of the $1 Cleaners in the 18600 block of Kuykendahl Road, saw two people approach the store at about 6:35 p.m. Monday. Nguyen said the two were wearing all black and he saw them pull masks over their faces. The two crouched down and approached the front door, Nguyen told investigators. Nguyen said he saw the two reach into the waistbands for an object. Nguyen, who has a concealed handgun license, pulled out his gun and fired toward the men about three times, investigators said. The two tried to get away, but only one of them actually did. One of the men collapsed and died behind the northeast end of the strip center where the dry cleaning business is located, deputies said. The person had been shot, detectives said. There was no identification on the body, officials said. “The (second suspect was) possibly wounded … still on the loose,” Sgt. Robert Shields said. “We got the hospitals on notification to alert us. We haven’t received any reports back from the hospital.”


Guns soon could be checked in on Amtrak: "Gun-toting Amtrak passengers are one giant step closer to being allowed to travel with firearms in their checked luggage, as lawmakers included a measure to lift a railroad gun ban in a catch-all spending bill …The omnibus spending bill … is considered must-pass legislation, and that makes the new Amtrak gun rule as close to a sure bet as there is on Capitol Hill.Travelers with firearms have long faced disparate treatment on trains and airplanes. Airline passengers can transport firearms in checked baggage, but Amtrak currently prohibits guns anywhere on its trains.This is an important victory for sportsmen and gun owners across the country, and it affirms congressional support of the Second Amendment.”


World’s Lightest Shotgun — from Benelli: "Sleek. Beautiful. Italian. She’s the lightest auto-loading shotgun in the world. And she’s coming January 19, 2010. On that day, the launch of Benelli’s newest shotgun will be revealed at the SHOT Show and simultaneously unveiled on the Benelli USA website. Evoking grace and beauty, the female form has inspired artisans since the dawn of time, and does so no less today. With Benelli’s newest offering, Italian designers have blended art and function in a way that every sportsman will appreciate. “At just under 5 pounds, this is lightest shotgun on the market, chambered in a gauge that many skilled hunters and sportsmen will find not only a delight to handle, but wonderful to shoot.” said Stephen McKelvain, Benelli USA’s VP of Marketing & Communications. “Benelli combined striking gun art with reliable function, the hallmark of all our products.”